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There’s also a time-honored tradition in changing existing lyrics to fit a campaign season. Songwriter Sammy Cahn rewrote the lyrics to “High Hopes” as a jingle for John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign. Frank Sinatra then lent his voice to the Democratic candidate.

Everyone is voting for Jack

’Cause he’s got what all the rest lack

Everyone wants to back — Jack

Jack is on the right track.

’Cause he’s got high hopes

He’s got high hopes ...

Irving Berlin wrote “They Like Ike” as a show tune for the politically themed 1950 Broadway musical “Call Me Madam.” In 1952, the song, morphed into “We Like Ike,” was picked up for campaign purposes by the Republicans, which pleased both Dwight Eisenhower and Berlin.

They like Ike

And Ike is good on a mic

They like Ike

But Ike says he don’t wanna

That makes Ike

The kind o’ feller they like

And what’s more

They seem to think he’s gonna

Lyrics don’t always need to be about the candidate. On a warm night in 1964, in the midst of the presidential campaign, President Lyndon B. Johnson staged a “Salute to Congress” at the White House. A banjo band played virtually every presidential political song that had been written since the founding of the Republic. Lawmakers loved it.

In the modern era, when celebrities sing retreads of their hits, the balance tends to favor Democrats. Stevie Wonder thrilled the 2008 Democratic delegates on the final night of their Denver convention with his song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours,” which was used frequently during the Obama campaign. Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” defined a convention moment for Bill Clinton and Al Gore: In 1993, Clinton persuaded the then-disbanded rock group to perform it at his inaugural ball.

Republicans will always have Lee Greenwood — and his trademark stars-and-stripes windbreaker. His song “God Bless the USA,” aka “I’m Proud to Be An American,” causes mass singalongs.

In general, the best political tunes are upbeat ones, such as “Happy Days Are Here Again,” which came out in 1929.

There are times when songwriters need some guidance from staffers. “Get on the Raft With Taft,” which dates from 1912, wasn’t exactly a wise suggestion for a president who weighed well over 300 pounds.

The time has come.

The fight is on.

We’ve picked the man to run for president.

Get on the raft with Taft, boys; get on the winning boat.

The man worthwhile, with the big, glad smile, we’ll get the honest vote.

Taft had to have a special oversized tub installed in the White House. Getting on that raft might have been quite a dangerous exercise. Anyway, Taft lost his reelection bid in a three-way race.